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If You, really want
to leave the world behind, you can hardly do better than to seek out
a tranquil spot in the Himalaya-75 percent of which is in India, a
fact which comes as a surprise to many potential visitors.
On one of Shakti Tours' Village Experiences, you get an intimate
snapshot of day-to-day rural life in the Himalaya. Accompanied by
local porters and guides, you walk between remote villages, and stay
in traditional village houses, which Shakti Has spruced up to
provide proper comfort without compromising their authenticity.
Shakti's Village
Experience was born in Kumaon in 2004 as The Village Walks. In 2007
it started a similar concept in the former Buddhist Kingdom of
Sikkim in the Eastern Himalaya. A third village experience was
launched in 2008 in the far north of India, in Ladakh - often
refereed to as 'Little Tibet'.
Underscoring all
the walks - and a stay at 360˚Leti, Shakti's four-room luxury lodge
in Uttaranchal - is a commitment to tourism at its lightest and most
sustainable. Shakti has become accepted in the local communities.
Nearly all its 40 or so staff are local, most of its food and
materials are sourced locally, and the homes that host visitors also
benefit.
Shakti works closely with an organization called The Leap, which
sends volunteers on six-to ten-week placements carrying out
conservation and environment work. Volunteers also go into a local
Kumaoni school to provide lessons in English and conservation;
Shakti is committed to making the region plastic-free, and local
children regularly go out on litter patrols!
Shakti's manager Gemma Hyde say: 'After four years of operation we
have not seen any negative social impact on the local communities
who continue to lead their lives without felling intruded upon.'
Shakti's success saw it highly commended in the 23007 Responsible
Tourism Award, and over the past year, the launch of its Ladakh
operation has presented a new challenge. 'This region had already
experienced tourism, but many that have gone before us have not
worked with the local communities and have contributed to the
denigration of local values,' says Gemma. 'We help the communities
we work with to be proud of what they have, and thus keen to show
it.' |
